It has not been long when something surprising happened in the music world. A song went viral on TikTok, claiming to have voices of famous artists like Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, and Daddy Yankee. But here’s the twist – the entire song was the result of AI music, made by a computer artist named FlowGPT. Bad Bunny, not liking the song, called it bad in Spanish, and TikTok removed it. This event shows how computers and music can be complicated.
In the last few years, computers have learned to copy the sounds of favorite artists. They can mimic Drake, The Weeknd, or even mix Frank Sinatra’s voice with Lil Jon’s lyrics. Some people think this is cool because it lets anyone make music, but others worry it might turn artists into products.
People are debating how to protect artists, encourage new ideas, and decide who does what in making music – humans or computers. Lex Dromgoole, who knows about music and computers, is asking big questions about imagination in a world where computers make music fast.
Computers are already helping with regular music stuff, like fixing singers’ mistakes and making songs sound better. Even famous groups like The Beatles used computers to take just John Lennon’s voice from an old recording and make a new song. Streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music use computer programs to suggest songs you might like based on what you listen to.
Making music with computers, in other words AI music has both good and bad sides. Some apps make music loops with a tap, and others create soundtracks based on what you like. But making whole songs just by typing words into a computer raises tricky questions. Should computers be allowed to use songs without asking?
The debate is getting serious. People are quitting computer companies because they worry, they’re taking jobs away from musicians. Big music companies are suing startups for using their songs without permission. The singer Dolly Parton even called computer-made voices “bad.”
Some artists, like Holly Herndon, are using computers in a different way. She made her own computer voice, called Holly+, so anyone can change their voice to sound like hers. It’s not about giving up your voice but about being part of the conversation and having control in a music world where big tech companies are getting more powerful.
Lex Dromgoole, who helps run a computer music company called Bronze, dreams of a future where computer music, AI music isn’t just copying voices. He’s working with musicians to create computer music that changes every time you listen, breaking the rules of what music should be. It’s not about perfect, sellable songs but about challenging how we think about music.
As music figures out how to deal with computers, these questions will keep popping up. They’ll shape how we make and enjoy music in the future.
